It is known to assemble a rack mounted server system by installing multiple rack mounted servers or blade chassis into a server rack. The rack includes pairs of opposite tracks or rails to slidably receive the rack mounted servers and blade chassis. Before the rack can be used to receive the rack mounted servers and blade chassis, the rails of each pair must be properly aligned, leveled, and attached to the rack. FIG. 1 illustrates a rail 104 attached to a rear rack post 106 and front rack post 108 in rack 102, according to the prior art. An installer secures rail 104 to rack 102 by lining two rail mounting holes (not shown) on a first end 112 of rail 104 with two of a plurality of rack mounting holes 116 on a front rack post 108 of rack 102. The installer then inserts mounting screws 118A-B through the two rail mounting holes (not shown) and the two of the plurality of rack mounting holes 116. The installer then repeats the process for a second end 110 of rail 104 on rear rack post 106 of rack 102.
Rail mounting holes on a front end of a rail, however, may not line up the same way with rack mounting holes on a front side of a rack as do rail mounting holes on a back end of the rail line up with rack mounting holes on a back side of the rack, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A illustrates a back side 204 of a rail 202, secured to rack 208 by back side mounting screws 210A-B. FIG. 2B illustrates a front side 206 of rail 202 secured to rack 208 by front side mounting screws 210C-D. Back side mounting screws 210A-B, however, do not line up evenly with front side mounting screws 210C-D. For example, back side mounting screws 210A-B may be positioned further apart, as compared to front side mounting screws 210C-D which may be positioned closer together, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Also, in order to level the rail, back side mounting screw 210A may need to be aligned with a mounting hole on rack 208 at a higher point, relative to the top of rack 208, as compared to a mounting hole on rack 208 that front side mounting screw 210C needs to be aligned with. Thus, to properly align and level a rail in a rack, an installer cannot simply rely on the selected front mounting holes of a rack as a reference point to determine the rear mounting holes of the rack. Instead, the installer must visually level and align the rail.
Visually leveling and aligning the rail, however, can lead to mistakes. An installer may accidentally install the rail at a slight angle, rather than on a horizontal level plane, by choosing the wrong mounting hole on the rack. The installer would then need to go back and adjust the rail to a horizontal level, which is time consuming. Further, an installer may not realize that the rail is not horizontally level until after he mounts a server on the rail. This further inconveniences the installer and further consumes his time since the installer must remove the server before adjusting the rail.
A known rail includes a bubble level in the middle of the rail to help the installer determine when the rail is on a horizontal level. However, if the floor and therefore, the server, are not level, the bubble level may be misleading if an installer attempts to secure the rail parallel to a server base. In addition, it is not cost effective to include a bubble level on every rail.
Also, a back side of rack can be poorly lit and crowded with cables which can make it more challenging for an installer to properly level and align a rail in a rack visually.
An object of the present invention is to enable an installer to efficiently and reliably install a rail in a rack, parallel to a server base.